A Different Reality Koushiro's Story
by Cybra
Summary: PG13 for some violence and swearing. The story of Koushiro in this ulternate timeline. Recently edited


A Different Reality - Koushiro's Story

A Different Reality – Koushiro's Story

by Cybra

A/N: Here it is! The story of Koushiro in this alternate timeline! :::Cybra waits for Kyra, Kelly Moon, Aquarius, and others to stop drooling::: Are you guys done? :::watches as heads nod::: Then, let's get this show on the road!

Disclaimer: The story is mine. The idea for this story is mine. The new characters are mine (other than the Digimon that may or may not really appear in the show). The original characters and the anime series are _not _mine. Any questions? :::readers' hands raise::: Ha ha. Oh, my sides.

Do you believe in government conspiracies?

I don't mean like when you joke around with your friends.

I mean, do you _truly _believe in government conspiracies?

If you had asked me that question four Earth years ago, I would have told you there was a government cover-up on aliens, but that I didn't believe anything else along those lines.

Well, I believe in them now.

I've been _living_ a government conspiracy for three Earth years.

You probably think I'm crazy, don't you?

There are days when I wish I was.

That way I could wake up from my nightmare of a life.

I'll back up a bit.

Four Earth years and sixteen digi-years to be exact.

To a little place called Highton View Terrace in Japan.

The very beginning of my nightmare.

You may have known me then.

You may know me _now._

If you don't, I'll introduce myself.

My name is Koushiro Izumi.

~@~

The whole thing started one night when I was six. I'd heard a noise, so I looked out my window to investigate.

Here's where you'll start to doubt my sanity.

The source of the sound was a pair of monsters fighting.

One of them looked like a large green parrot with taloned hands and feet. His wings were yellow and folded back. His head and face were exactly like those of a parrot's.

I now know that the first monster's name was Parrotmon.

The second monster was like an orange Tyrannosaurus Rex. The top half of his head was brown. A brown horn stuck up on the end of his nose. Blue stripes were on his lower jaw, back, and tail.

If you know Taichi Kamiya and Agumon, you'll recognize _this_ Digimon.

For the ignorant, the second monster's name was Greymon.

Of course, I didn't know this at the time. All I knew was that a pair of monsters was fighting outside my window.

At the time, I had two thoughts:

__

'What are_ they?!'_ (That was my terrified thought.)

__

'This is so_ cool!'_ (That was my amazed thought.)

Give me a break. I was six.

One of Greymon's fireballs eliminated the bridge.

Yeah, _Greymon's_ the "terrorist" who "bombed" the bridge.

I squinted in the dim light of the street lamps. I had thought I'd seen two people nearby.

One of the two people – in reality, a pair of kids – wore blue pajamas. The boy's cactus-like hair stuck out easily. A pair of goggles hung from around his neck.

The other kid was a girl. She was younger than the boy and wore a peach bunny suit.

I turned my attention back to the fight. It looked like Greymon was winning. Parrotmon fought as hard as he could, but that over-sized bird was no match for Greymon.

After the fight had ended, a bright light appeared. I covered my eyes at the light until it dimmed. When I uncovered my eyes, Greymon and the defeated Parrotmon had vanished without a trace.

All that remained was the two children and the destroyed bridge.

Not to mention me.

~@~

About a month later, my parents and I were driving home from the movies. This was the night when my relatively normal life would end.

Head injuries cause some sort of amnesia.

I don't remember the last conversation I had with my parents.

I remember the wreck with incredible clarity.

I still see the car speeding around the corner, then swerving.

I still hear the loud and sickening _crunch_ as the car hit the passenger's side of our car.

Supposedly, Mom died on impact; a quick and merciful death.

Our car collided into a telephone pole, bringing us to a stop.

The windshield shattered. Glass flew everywhere.

A few pieces sliced into my arm.

Kari Kamiya tells me that the scar looks like an animal attacked me.

My dad was yelling to see if Mom and I were okay.

During all this, I was screaming in pain and terror.

I was so sure I was going to die…

I sometimes wish I had.

When we hit the telephone pole, my dad's head hit the steering wheel and then the headrest of his seat with incredible force, blood dripping from a head wound gained from flying shards of glass. At the same time, my head snapped back against my seat.

I instantly lost consciousness.

~@~

I was surprised when I awoke in a hospital room. The pure white color of the room blinded me. I blinked several times to clear my vision.

The only people there was a pair of nurses were whispering in the corner.

This is what I heard:

"Poor kid…"

"I know…worst part of the job…"

"…awake!"

The first nurse walked up and sat down in the chair next to my bed.

"Where are Mom and Dad?" I asked without preamble.

The nurse bit her tongue for a moment.

My heart twisted in pain, but I held onto a faint ray of hope.

What a fool I was.

The nurse sighed. "I'm sorry. You've been unconscious for three days, and I hate being the one to break the news to you after you woke up." She swallowed. "Your mother died on impact when that drunk driver's car slammed into yours. Your father died while he was in surgery."

My heart stopped. My body stiffened.

According to the second nurse, my face had changed to a pasty white.

I suddenly became very cold.

The memory of the wreck replayed itself over and over in my head.

The nurse leaned forward and took me in her arms.

Just like Mom and Dad used to do whenever I was upset.

I know now that I had gone into shock.

I snapped out of shock when the nurse held me close.

That's the exact second I lost it.

I sobbed and clung to the nurse as if she was Mom.

The memory of the wreck still played in my head.

What you got was the censored version.

The real version is for mature audiences only.

~@~

I was in the hospital for about four weeks. I had received a severe concussion in the wreck. I'd also gained a few broken ribs and a badly injured shoulder from the accident. Apparently a piece of debris had hit my right side while I had been unconscious in the car.

I hurt for about two weeks: physically and emotionally.

However, the pain had begun to numb itself away, but one fact still remained:

I was the only one of my family still alive.

Most of the first two weeks had left me in tears.

The last two weeks left me in a daze.

The last day of my stay had me thinking that life couldn't get any worse.

That's when a doctor and a blue-suited man walked in.

The doctor rubbed his hands together nervously. He stated, "I still don't like the idea of this…"

The blue-suited man ignored him and looked at me. I was wearing my new – at the time – trademark attire of an orange, button-up shirt; khaki shorts; green socks; and lighting shoes. The clothing was a gift from a few of the nurses. I stood up straight and looked directly into his gray-blue eyes with my own dark eyes.

"No family?" the man asked.

"None. His parents died in that wreck. He's lucky to be alive…"

"He's perfect."

"Are you sure?"

"His father was a mathematician. His mother used to be a computer programmer before she got married. Intelligence _must_ run in the family." The man paused. "He's a little scrawny, but that's all right."

You would have thought I wasn't in the room from the way they were talking. I tried to control my anger at them. What were they planning?

Instead of showing off my anger, I smiled and bowed respectfully when the blue-suited man stopped talking.

"Good day, sir. If you know who my parents were, then you must know _my_ name. However, I do not have the pleasure of knowing yours."

I smiled inwardly as the man blinked. I met his gaze once again, trying to see any other sort of reaction.

The blue-suited man turned to the doctor once more. "How soon can he come with me?"

"This afternoon."

That's when my life suddenly changed…

…from bad to worse.

~@~

All my personal belongings vanished. Photo albums, framed pictures, even my old clothes disappeared.

The only thing I had left was the locket Mom had always worn. The rescue team had managed to find it, but a nurse had given it to me. I always hid the locket under my shirt.

The blue-suited man and several other men and women had made sure I'd disappeared. They bought me clothes that looked exactly like what the nurses had given me with a few pairs of yellow gloves.

It was a good thing I _liked_ that outfit.

I didn't even know where I was. The only thing I knew was that I'd arrived somewhere with many, many other children.

Not one of those kids had a smile on their face.

I soon learned why.

~@~

__

'Handhold. Foothold. Inch up. Handhold. Foothold. Inch up,' I repeated over and over in my mind. I remained focused as I climbed up the wall.

Climbing had never been my strong suit. This was why I spent extra time practicing it. In my training sessions, I'd fall behind and end up with some sort of punishment.

I would have been better if we'd used ropes or something, but they insisted that we free climb.

The wall was _exactly_ like a real rock wall. You had to look for handholds and footholds.

Finally, I reached the top. I breathed slowly in order to slow down my rapidly pounding heart. I looked at the watch under my left glove.

Fifteen minutes and thirty seconds.

That would bring me right with the training group.

Now the hard part:

Getting back down.

Sometimes, we'd repel down the wall. Other times, we'd climb.

I was good at repelling, so I'd practice the climbing down.

I put my legs over the side, seeking footholds.

Vaguely, I remembered my seventh birthday was the next day.

Not that anybody would have cared.

My body fell into a sort of rhythm as I climbed down.

Considering the circumstances, my life was pretty good.

At the time, I had been surprised, as well as my instructors, when I'd discovered I was an ace at electronics; especially at computers.

Also, my small size had paid off when I did stealth.

Of course, I wasn't in paradise.

As you became more and more skilled, the instructors would punish you more severely if you failed a task.

That and if you forgot to wear your gloves.

You heard me correctly.

I had noticed that while all of us kids were different, we had two things in common:

Each of us had been given gloves, and not one of us had a family.

I reached about three feet to the bottom of the wall, then dropped. I landed silently on the ground.

I quickly checked my watch.

Thirteen minutes, twenty-six seconds.

Perfect.

I jogged towards the shower area. A bead of sweat dripped from a bit of my wild, red hair. My muscles slightly protested any further activity.

"Slightly" as in "screaming for a break".

"Izumi! Come here!" Commander Yosho snapped.

Immediately forgetting my muscles' pleas, I immediately ran over to him. I stood at military attention and saluted.

"Yes, Sir!" I answered automatically.

Commander Yosho stood well over six feet in height. His laser green eyes seemed to bore right into your soul. His black hair was in the style of the ever-so-popular crew cut to match the military uniform he wore.

The lieutenant beside him, Lieutenant Suzuki, had dark eyes, like mine, which seemed to always know what you're doing. His black hair had been hacked off as well. This made his five foot-eleven inches tall body appear to be scraggly.

From looking over Lieutenant Suzuki, I got a vague idea of what was going on.

The lieutenant was only sixteen.

__

Nobody in the military was supposed to be younger than eighteen.

Commander Yosho turned to the lieutenant.

"I believe we can start him on that program now, Sir," Lieutenant Suzuki stated as if I wasn't present.

I just waited patiently.

I was getting used to that.

"Yes. That would be an excellent idea." Commander Yosho turned to me. "Izumi, you are now a part of a special technology program. You will still learn the basics, but you'll have extra work. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir!" I answered in a clipped tone.

"Dismissed!"

I performed a quick and efficient about-face and resumed walking towards the showers.

~@~

About a month later, I was past the basics in computer hacking and programming. I was the best student in the program.

Of course, if I messed up, the punishment I received was more severe than that of the other trainees.

That day, I was still in pain after being punished for making a minor error.

My body was still sore as I lay down on my bed in my quarters when I heard a knock at the door. I jumped to my feet and rushed to the door.

A fellow trainee stood there with a backpack with something else in his hands.

"The computer science instructor, Instructor Tomoe, has ordered that I deliver this to you. He orders you to learn to use it well."

"Understood."

I took the delivery from the trainee and closed the door. My curiosity was peaked I opened up the backpack. What had Instructor Tomoe sent me?

You guessed it.

It was a yellow Pineapple laptop.

Not just _any_ Pineapple laptop.

The _latest_ in technology.

A note attached told me that the laptop would be constantly updated, if not replaced, when new technology became available.

I opened up the laptop and switched it on for the first time. It hummed to life as the screen began to glow. I smiled with my eyes.

My instructor had made a mistake.

He'd given me a tool to use in order to learn what was going on.

~@~

Months passed. Training continued.

I learned many things.

Things that the instructors would regret they'd taught me.

Things that have kept me _alive _over these many digi-years.

I had fallen into a sort of rhythm with my day:

Wake up early and go through seven hours of training. Next was a fifteen-minute lunch break; then more training for three more hours. Next came four hours of free time and a thirty-minute dinner. Afterward, go to quarters for two hours of free time; then go to bed. Then, start over the next day.

However, during my last two hours of free time, I'd recall my message/information worms.

You're probably wondering what those are.

Well, I'm not talking about the worms you see frying on the sidewalk in the middle of summer.

I'd created these little guys to slide around a computer's mainframe to collect or give information unnoticed.

Instructor Tomoe had been proud of my accomplishment.

But I'd had a different reason for creating them.

I would release my worms into the mainframe of the central computer network.

Every day at 1945 hours military time, I'd recall my message/information worms. I'd scroll through the files they'd accessed through the day, but would only look at file names and where they had been located. If something looked interesting, I'd read it.

For the three months I'd had "my minions", I'd gotten nowhere.

I'd instruct my worms to go back into the system, programmed to ignore the files they'd accessed before.

Finally, I hit something interesting.

W24 (Worm 24) had located a folder called "subject profiles".

Unfortunately, W24 hadn't been able to break the password code on it.

This made me all the more determined to hack that folder.

I gave W24 very specific instructions:

Hide itself until someone accessed that folder. Get the password of the user who had accessed the folder. Only return when the instructions had been carried out.

I sent W24 on its way.

I didn't see it until three weeks later.

~@~

I activated my laptop once more. Only this time, it was a new laptop.

It looked a lot like the one I'd had before.

I'd uploaded all the information I'd collected and the work I'd done onto this new, faster laptop; and deliberately wiped the memory of my old one, not wanting anyone to discover my plans.

I'd searched through all the files W13 had found when I heard a knock on my air vent grate.

I stood up on my bed with a screwdriver I'd stolen a week before. I quickly took out the screws of the grate, set the grate aside, and moved out of the way.

Jake Townsend, an American boy and my new partner for training, flipped himself out of the vent. He landed quietly on my bed. Jake was my age with tan skin, grown hair, and hazel eyes. He was also short.

Jake had been on vacation with his father in Japan about two weeks before. His vacation ended when his father died of alcohol poisoning from having imbibed too much sake. Jake had no family back in the United States, so he'd become the next unwilling trainee.

What a way to end a vacation.

"Has W24 come back yet?" he asked without preamble.

"Not – " I was cut off by an urgent beeping. "Then again…"

I turned back to my laptop.

Jake had discovered my little "hobby" by accident. The two of us had quarters that were side by side and connected by an air vent. He'd decided he'd drop in on me (even though it wasn't permitted) one night and heard me muttering to myself, allowing him to put two and two together.

I'd been terrified that he'd spill the beans, but he didn't tell a soul for two reasons:

One, he wanted to know what was going on as badly as I did.

Two, telling Commander Yosho would've revealed he'd disobeyed a direct order. Not a wise idea.

Jake leaned over my shoulder as I worked.

I was worried about being bugged, but I did nightly checks for bugging devices as soon as I returned from dinner. Still, I was a little nervous.

"Please let it be you, W24," Jake murmured.

I silently concurred.

I accessed our visitor.

"You have accessed Worm 24," a message box informed me.

I shook my fist in the air. "Yes!"

I watched as Jake successfully suppressed a whoop.

I smiled with my eyes; just like I do now. If you ever hear me say "I smiled", just remember I smile with my eyes, not with my lips.

As I began to download the information W24 had found, I thought I heard Jake say to himself, "Love that worm."

The laptop quickly downloaded W24's information. I opened it up.

Lieutenant Commander Toji had accessed the folder at 1950 hours. His password was "527BetaCharlie".

"Gotcha," Jake commented with a wide grin.

"He doesn't have Level 1 clearance, so he can't access everything," I informed him. "He's only Level 2."

"doesn't matter. We can 'borrow' his password until we can borrow one from someone with Level 1 clearance, right?"

I nodded. "We can pull the same trick twice, but I have to find a folder that _requires_ a Level 1 password."

Jake nodded slowly. He hadn't been in the program long. We'd been assigned as partners so I could get him caught up. He still had problems with some of the basics, but he was coming along fine…with help from me.

__

'Pride is something you need to get rid of,' I reminded myself.

I'd started a program a month before to eliminate all emotions from my mind. I already had control over most of my facial expressions, mostly smiling. I hadn't smiled with my lips since that time I'd smiled for the blue-suited man.

"We'll, let's get started," Jake stated.

I nodded and began typing. I found the folder by "following" W24. I'd sent it back to the folder, ordering it to leave a trail that I could follow. I erased the trail as I went.

__

Login.

527BetaCharlie

Password accepted.

"We're in," I stated.

"Now what?" Jake asked.

"We see what they're planning…hopefully."

I typed, _Locate file._

Ready for instructions for locating.

Locate profile for subject Jake Townsend.

There is no "Jake Townsend" in database.

Jake frowned. "What the heck does it think it's talking about?"

Something dawned on me.

"Oh, duh, Koushiro," I muttered to myself.

"What's wrong?"

"I searched for the wrong file."

"Huh?"

I typed, _Locate profile for subject Townsend Jake._

A pause. _Profile located. Do you want to view?_

Yes.

Immediately, a new window popped up with Jake's profile.

Jake raised an eyebrow.

"You keep introducing yourself with your personal name first and your family name second. However, here in Japan, we Japanese introduce ourselves with our _family_ names first, then our personal names. They must've entered the profiles in the Japanese way for easy sorting." I shook my head at my own stupidity.

I quickly saved the file to my computer, then clicked out.

__

Locate profile for subject Izumi Koushiro.

Profile located. Do you want to view?

Yes.

The profile was longer…and for a very good reason. I'd been there longer than Jake. The instructors and other personnel had had more time to comment on me.

I quickly saved it and clicked out.

That's when I saw something.

"Oh crud!" I exclaimed under my breath as I began to type furiously.

"What's wrong?"

"Someone's tryin' to trace me!"

"Not good!"

"No duh!"

My fingers flew across the keyboard.

__

'Please…' I begged.

That's when I came up with an idea. I instructed the computer to give me a countdown to when I'd be discovered, then set up a false access point.

"What're you doing?!" Jake hissed.

"Just shut up for…" I checked my counter. "…one minute and fifty seconds."

I quickly accessed W6 and typed in new instructions and information. Seconds seemed to fly by. If I messed up, I would have soldiers on me about thirty seconds after I was discovered. Jake would be in serious trouble as well.

No pressure.

__

'Get going, W6!' I mentally ordered as I sent it on its way.

There was nothing I could do now.

"Jake, if this doesn't work, we're as good as dead."

"I'm not leavin'."

"Just warning you."

At one second, the counter froze. I'd been located…

…at Lieutenant Commander Toji's terminal according to W6's report when it returned.

My plan had worked!

"What did you _do?!"_ Jake asked in amazement.

My eyes shone brightly as I smiled.

"I told W6 to tell my pursuer that I was at Lieutenant Commander Toji's terminal. I sent false information which caused my pursuer to back down." I smiled devilishly. "Instructor Tomoe stated that something like that might be done with my worms. Looks like he was right."

"And how'd that work?"

I shook my head. "Computers are stupid. They do whatever you tell them to. That's why they aren't equipped with legs. They'd walk right of a cliff if you told them to."

Jake laughed as I continued to surf around the central computer. That's when I found an interesting folder marked only as "PD".

"Shall we?" I asked.

Jake nodded.

I clicked on the folder, but hit a snag.

"'Only those with Level 1 clearance may access. Login,'" Jake read off the screen.

"We'll use W24 again. It already has the basic instructions."

I did a quick reprogramming to W24; then sent it off. I released my other worms again and logged off the central computer network.

"I better get moving. See ya."

"'Bye, Jake."

I closed up the grate after he left, then sat back down at my laptop once more.

I needed to start my reading.

~@~

By reading through Jake's profile (with Jake's permission, of course), I learned that they knew a lot more about us than we thought they knew. Whoever ran this little training ground knew our family histories back three generations.

I also learned that people like my fellow trainees and I had a special label.

We were "invisible people".

We were the members of society that would never be missed if we'd suddenly vanished.

That explained why only children without families were picked.

It took me three weeks to read Jake's profile since I had to work on hacking the central computer network and training at the same time.

I had very little free time.

Curiosity was an emotion that I could _never _get rid of.

I was scrolling through my profile about three months after I'd first downloaded it. I'd constantly gone back for updated profiles on Jake and I.

Suddenly, an urgent beeping brought me back from my reading.

W24 had come back.

~@~

"Who the heck is Doctor Mihoshi Keiko?" Jake asked.

"Someone with a Level 1 clearance. I don't know anything other than that," I answered.

"Well, let's see what this whole project is all about."

I accessed the folder, making sure to mask my access point. I opened the files and saved them for perusing later.

Jake and I read the file marked "Project PS".

After reading that file, I saved it, shaking.

Jake left, looking green.

Suddenly, I could see what I'd been a part of for a little over a year.

It wasn't pleasant.

~@~

I laid down on my back on my bed. I had recalled all my minions hours ago. I should've been fast asleep…

…but I wasn't.

What Jake and I had read wouldn't leave my mind.

We were a part of "Project PS".

"Project Perfect Soldier".

Dr. Keiko was studying whether or not this was possible. Whether or not children could be conditioned into a perfect squadron.

According to the report, not even the Prime Minister knew about this.

The sickest part, if there was one, had to be that every last one of us one hundred was disposable.

If one of us died, another kid would be brought in to replace him.

Jake had almost "prayed to the porcelain god".

I was in numb shock.

I had believed that nobody had cared for the past year.

Now I know that I was right.

At least I had Jake to lean on and visa versa.

We were loyal friends. We'd stick together.

But not for much longer.

~@~

We were out in a wooded area three days later with ten other trainees and five instructors.

Each one of our instructors had a semi-automatic handgun.

We were out here in the "wilderness" for survival training.

Jake leaned towards me. "I'm going to be free or dead."

"We can't do anything rash," I whispered.

"Whatever, but my statement still stands."

I sighed. "Do _all_ Americans behave like this?"

"Our Founding Fathers thought like this." He winked at me. "See ya on the flip side."

My dark eyes widened. "Jake, don't!"

I was too late. Jake made a run for it. I stood helplessly as one of our instructors shouted to the other instructors, simultaneously pulling out his gun and snapping on a silencer.

The other trainees were too far ahead to see what was going on.

Jake ran on. Commander Yosho himself drew his gun, silencer already in place. He aimed.

__

'Jake, you idiot…'

I heard the muffled sound of the silenced gunshot, my eyes on Jake. A red spot appeared on Jake's upper back. Red blood dripped down his shirt as he fell to the ground.

He was dead.

He'd said he'd be free or dead, and now he was dead.

I couldn't move.

Commander Yosho turned to me as he holstered his weapon. "Townsend died when something attacked him. Do you understand, Izumi?"

__

'Yeah, I understand. You're lying about his death.'

"Yes, sir."

"Good boy."

I followed him back towards the group. I didn't say a word as Commander Yosho explained Jake's "cause of death".

__

'See ya on the flip side, Jake.'

I felt the mask of non-emotion slip over my features for the first time.

I'd watched as they'd killed my best friend.

I would never be the same again.

~@~

I fired. Again. And again. My semi-automatic bucked slightly in my hands. My aim remained steady.

It was two years after Jake's death.

I continued firing at the targets as they flew past.

Finally, they stopped.

Nineteen out of twenty.

I'd beaten my old record.

"Nice shooting, Izumi," Commander Kero told me.

"Thank you, sir," I answered, my voice cold.

I stepped back in line. Some of the other trainees stepped slightly away from me. Most of them were newbies. I was one of the survivors, one of the Top Five.

I was also the creepiest 10 year-old you ever laid eyes upon.

My dark eyes were virtually unreadable. My voice had grown so cold, your blood would freeze from the sound. My whole body showed not one trace of emotion.

I was also the youngest person to have a license to carry a concealed weapon.

Not to mention the youngest person to _own_ a gun.

I also carry several clips.

I put my semi-automatic back in its holder in my backpack. I also had a new white-and-yellow Pineapple laptop (the one I have now) and a digital camera.

The digital camera had been given to me in case if I needed to make quick copies of important documents or something while on a mission. I'd be able to send the pictures immediately back to headquarters before I was discovered.

I was almost done with my training. I would come out of this program as a lieutenant.

Jake was probably turning over in his grave.

I didn't know it, but August first would be my last day on the planet Earth.

~@~

I entered my quarters at 1600 hours on the dot when I saw something glowing on my bed. I walked over and picked up what appeared to be some sort of digital apparatus.

Suddenly, the world seemed to swirl around me. I felt the sensation of free fall. I suddenly saw some sort of island below me.

__

'What is this place? Am I hallucinating?'

I hit the ground hard. Darkness immediately overtook my vision.

~@~

"Koushiro…" a kind and worried voice called to me.

I opened my eyes to find myself in some sort of jungle. I sat up slowly, taking a silent inventory of my injuries.

"You're okay!" the voice said happily.

The voice was hard to understand at first, but I was beginning to understand it. I turned to the source of the voice.

A pair of brown eyes was focused on me from their position on the face of a creature with a pink body and arms but no legs. The body was a kind of bell shape.

The two of us stared at each other for about a minute before I greeted it.

"Where the _hell_ am I?!"

~@~

After I'd calmed myself back into my normal state of non-emotion, the strange creature introduced itself.

"My name is Motimon! You're in the Digiworld!"

__

'That's it. I've officially snapped.'

"And what exactly is the Digiworld? What're you supposed to _be?"_

"The Digiworld is the Digital World, Koushiro. As for what I am, I'm a Digimon!"

"Digimon? What's _that_ supposed to be short for?"

"'Digital monster', silly!"

I scrutinized the little guy. He didn't _seem_ like a monster. More like a little stuffed animal.

__

'Never underestimate anyone,'I reminded myself.

A sudden roar brought any further conversation to a halt. I slid my pack slightly off my back, reaching quickly for my gun.

"Stay behind me!" I ordered Motimon.

A large creature came into view. It reminded me of a triceratops with only the horn on its nose. Black armor plates covered the gray skin and legs. It focused angry green eyes on me.

I noticed that half of what looked like a black gear was sticking out of its tail.

"That's a Monochromon! They're normally not this aggressive except when they're hungry. But there's _plenty_ of food around here so he _can't_ be starving!" Motimon informed me.

I merely nodded to show I'd heard. I aimed my gun towards the beast's eyes, a vulnerable spot. I know that I'd have to make every shot count.

After all, who knew how long I'd be stuck here?

Motimon hopped towards the larger creature.

"Motimon, get your pink butt back here!" I snapped, not taking my eyes off the Monochromon while holding my aim steady.

"I have to protect you, Koushiro!" Motimon replied.

That reply caused my aim to waver slightly. Loyalty rang in that voice.

Loyalty to _me._ An invisible person.

You see, I'd been loyal to a few people in the program, but not one of them would've done something like this. I'd always been let down or used. And Jake died…

"Bubble blow!" Motimon yelled.

Little pink bubbles came out of the pink creature's mouth, hitting the left eye. The Monochromon roared in annoyance, displaying a _very_ impressive, very intimidating set of teeth.

I fired a shot, but the Monochromon moved so the bullet hit its thick hide.

I doubt that that hit even tingled.

The large monster wasn't very nimble, but I'd have to overestimate his abilities.

I weighed my options. If we stayed, Motimon and I were toast. I reached forward to grab the courageous little monster.

"We're outta here!" I told him.

"No, Koushiro! We fight!" Motimon argued, jumping out of my reach and towards the Monochromon.

"Motimon, no!" I shouted.

That's when the device I had found started to whine and beep like crazy. I pulled the shrieking object out of my backpack. The glow was almost eerie.

A column of rainbow light came down from the sky and surrounded Motimon.

"Motimon digivolve to…Tentomon!"

The pink monster had changed into a large red beetle with raised up, almost spiky, black spots. He had these large green eyes that took up much of his face. Two orange antennae stuck up from the head. He not only had a set of clawed hands and feet, but also a second – yet smaller – pair of hands. His mouth and some patches of "skin" near the brown underside gave him a machine-like appearance.

"Motimon?" I asked cautiously.

The insect opened his wings and hovered in the air for a moment.

"Not anymore! I _was_ Motimon, but I digivolved to become Tentomon! Now, if you'll excuse me for a minute…"

I saw electricity crackle along his wings. He turned towards the attacking Monochromon.

"Super Shocker!"

I took an involuntary step back as a bolt of electricity shot towards our enemy. The Monochromon swung his tail towards the attack to deflect it, but the electricity hit the black gear.

The Monochromon roared in pain as the black gear shattered into a billion pieces. Once the gear vanished, he merely blinked at us; then shuffled away.

I didn't relax until I was certain the Monochromon had left. Then, I turned to the still-hovering beetle.

All I could say was, "Good job."

Those unblinking green eyes showed off his satisfaction and pleasure for a job well done.

"So you're 'Tentomon' now?" I asked.

"That's right. It's because I digivolved," the large beetle explained.

The word meant nothing to me, but I quickly put the pieces together based upon the evidence I'd seen.

"So…digivolving is when you go up to the next level? Like evolution?"

Tentomon nodded. "That's right."

I shook my head. "This is one bizarre place."

~@~

I had made the decision to climb Infinity Mountain about three days before I found the satchel I carry now. We were walking through the woods when we found a clearing.

Trees had been blasted apart. Rocks lay strewn about everywhere. Branches littered the ground. Pieces of underbrush were shredded.

__

'Looks like a war zone,' I thought.

I examined two of the trees. I noted one of them, a sapling, had been neatly sliced through with a blade of some sort. The other, another sapling, looked like some sort of blunt object had smashed into it, the force of the blow breaking it in half.

"Koushiro, look what I found!" Tentomon called.

I snapped out of my musing as I jogged over to my companion.

I smiled…with my eyes, of course. "Yes, _this_ will be _very_ useful to us."

Tentomon had found a slightly large, leather pouch. As I examined it closely, I noticed the fine craftsmanship that went into it. The leather was sewn tightly together with leather strips. Some sort of coating made the satchel feel like polished boots to me. The coating must've waterproofed it in a way.

I examined the contents to find meat, some herbs, four flowers, and a canteen halfway full of water.

"That flowers and herbs are powerful medicines. Whoever dropped this is going to be sorry he lost it," Tentomon commented.

I slung the satchel over my shoulder. This added extra weight to my back, but it was _nothing_ compared to the utility packs I'd been forced to carry before.

"Tento, this satchel was very well-made. Is there some sort of town nearby?"

Tentomon nodded. "Yes. In a large cave on Infinity Mountain there's a small marketplace of sorts. You can buy, sell, and trade for what you need. At least, that's what I've heard."

The sun was setting as we searched for a tall tree in which to spend the night. That way, we wouldn't be attacked in our sleep.

~@~

About four days later found us in the center of a bustling marketplace. I was amazed at the hustle and bustle of the different Digimon around me. Many of the Digimon would've been able to destroy me in a nanosecond, but I wasn't worried.

You see, they would've had to have _caught_ me first. I usually was two or three steps ahead of an attacker, and if I got into trouble, Tentomon would digivolve to Kabuterimon.

That was my digital partner's newest trick. He'd picked it up three days before when Tyrannomon decided we'd make a good lunch. Needless to say, that Tyrannomon decided to go eat something a little less feisty.

However, I remained cautious. I had never felt comfortable in large crowds. I reached for Mom's locket by reflex, but my hand closed around the tag I'd found at the tip of Infinity Mountain.

__

'All we need to do is find someone who can get us to Server,' I thought. _'If these flowers are as valuable as Tento says, one or two should cover the trip. Not to mention leave the rest for ourselves.'_

I walked into a saloon-style building. It was right out of the old Westerns you always saw on TV and in the movies (the last time I'd seen them feels like it was hundreds of years ago). The only difference was that Digimon filled the room instead of humans.

Tentomon hovered protectively nearby me as I walked towards a Gazimon.

"Excuse me. May I speak with you for a moment?" I asked.

The Gazimon frowned, but nodded. He led us to a private table. Tentomon and I sat across from him.

I studied the Digimon coolly, not wanting to be too quick to judge him. From my assessment, this particular Gazimon wanted something.

"So, what do you want?"

"We need some sort of transportation to cross the ocean. Do you know _anyone_ who has a ship?"

"I do, but what do ya wanna cross the ocean _to?"_

"The continent of Server."

The Gazimon snorted in amusement. "That's gonna cost a pretty penny!"

"What's the price?"

"A Heaven's Teardrop. It's a healing flower."

I kept my smile to myself. That was the item I was willing to offer.

"Like this one?" I asked as I set the pale blue, five-petaled flower on the table in front of me.

The Gazimon turned the most interesting shade of rose pink. His eyes glittered with excitement.

"I want a ship to Server. You want this flower. I believe we can reach an agreement," I commented.

~@~

Reach an agreement we did. We were on our way to Server two days afterwards. That's when I discovered something quite annoying:

I get seasick.

The ship itself was a large cargo ship with enough supplies to last the crew and ourselves for six weeks. More than enough.

However, I had quickly lost all appetite.

The constant swaying of the moaning boards under my feet thwarted my attempts at staying in one spot for very long. I continued to stumble across the deck as I walked while Tentomon hovered nearby.

There are days when I truly hate him.

My stomach lurched as the brig yawned to the left. I easily won the battle with my digestive system after the ship righted itself.

The captain, the Gazimon I had met in the bar, easily walked across the deck towards me.

"Eaglemon claimed a while ago he saw some storm clouds on the horizon." The captain pointed off the starboard bow. "Looks like he was right, as usual. We can't out sail the storm at the rate it's coming towards us. We'll have to ride it out."

I merely nodded as I observed the dark clouds continued on their path towards us. A foreboding feeling came over me.

I exchanged a glance with Tentomon. It was obvious to me that he felt the same way.

~@~

"Lower the mainsail!" the captain shouted over the wailing wind.

I gripped the rope in my hand tighter as the crew, Tentomon, and I fought against the gale in an attempt to lower the mainsail. The rope would've burned my hands had I not been wearing my gloves.

I silently thanked my superiors for drilling the habit of wearing them into my skull. Sure, they wanted me to wear them so I wouldn't leave fingerprints while on a mission, but that didn't matter.

Thunder crashed. The howl of the wind filled my ears, but did not cover the loud _crack_ of wood splitting. The last bolt of lightning had hit the middle mast.

A burst of orange flame appeared on the mainsail. It'd caught fire! The flames licked their way across the sail until it reached the mast. I could see the fire burning the rest of the way through the wood.

"Look out!" I yelled, trying to be heard over the wind.

The storm proved to be my enemy as two Gazimon and a Numemon were crushed under the weight of the tumbling mast. Much to my horror, the ship itself caught fire.

"Man the lifeboats!" the first mate, a Gomamon, shouted.

I assume that the captain had been one of the two unfortunate Gazimon who'd been crushed to death.

A gigantic wave swept across the deck, hitting me squarely in the side. I tried to grab a hold on the rail, but missed. Tentomon quickly followed me, unable to fly in the wind.

I plunged into the wild torrents, Tentomon somewhere behind me. I felt goose bumps form along my body as the shock of hitting the frigid water set in. I opened my eyes, trying to see where the surface was as I was tossed around in the wild current. Salt stung my eyes.

A flash of lightning illuminated the direction I had to swim in. I swam, almost frantically, towards the surface.

My lungs began to burn from the lack of oxygen. I tried to ignore their painful cries, but after a minute, I sucked in a lung-full of water involuntarily.

I tried to force the water out of my lungs, but it was too late. Darkness began to fill my vision.

__

'At least I'll be seeing Jake again,' I thought.

I surrendered willingly to the darkness. I was ready to embrace death with open arms to end my nightmare.

Only Fate was through with me yet.

~@~

My first impression of death was that it was the coldest and wettest experience I had ever had. My cheek rested against some sort of hard shell.

Not quite the Hell I'd been expecting.

"He's waking up!" Tentomon's slightly-nasally voice announced.

__

'Tentomon? In Hell? With me? Figures.'

A slight wave splashed against my side.

That's when I realized it.

I wasn't dead!

I had looked at death straight in the eye and had survived!

Half of me was elated at the fact I was still living.

The other half was disappointed that my life hadn't ended.

I gave a slight moan as I opened my eyes. I saw the hard shell beneath me. It was a bright red and, upon closer examination, appeared to be some sort of exoskeleton. I turned my gaze towards the back to see the lobster-like tail. As I allowed my gaze to slowly examine the aquatic Digimon's body, I recognized the basic form.

I was riding a giant lobster Digimon.

A scuffling off to my right caused me to turn. A crab-like Digimon waved to me, smiling.

"Glad to see you've finally woken up! You had us all worried!"

I slowly blinked. I felt positively exhausted from my near-death experience.

"Thank you for saving Tentomon and myself."

"Our pleasure," the enormous lobster answered.

I reached for my backpack to discover it missing. Then I remembered that I'd stowed it away in one of the watertight containers back on ship, marked only by a "K.I. and T."

Tentomon gently tapped my shoulder and pointed. There sat the container, still in excellent shape. All the data I'd collected so far hadn't been wasted.

I felt a little calmer when I reached around my neck and gripped my mother's locket and that tag.

The little crab smacked a claw to his head. "I'm a total idiot! I forgot to introduce myself! My name's Crabmon. I really like swimming, but I thought I'd hitch a ride with the big guy."

The large lobster smiled. "I'm Ebidramon. Pleased to meet you."

Despite my best efforts, I yawned. I was still exhausted from my experience. Crabmon smiled.

"Get some sleep, Koushiro," he told me.

Tentomon must've told him my name while I'd been unconscious. I didn't say anything as I closed my eyes and slept.

~@~

Right off, I'll tell you one important thing I've learned:

Deserts are really, _really_ hot.

Quite a shocker, isn't it?

Sweat permeated my clothing as Tentomon and I continued to traverse the desert.

I felt like every brain cell I had was frying.

That's when a glow under my shirt caught my attention.

"What the – ?"

I pulled out the tag to find it glowing slightly. As I gazed at the surrounding territory, I saw a matching glow coming from a welcome sight:

A well.

Tentomon and I raced towards the well, hoping for a cool drink. When we reached it, I dropped the bucket in.

After we pulled the bucket back up and drank our fill, I gazed down into the well. Something was glowing down there…

I lowered the rope end of the pulley system into the well. Tentomon silently agreed to be my anchor.

I'd been trained to use silent communication. Tentomon and I had it down to an _art._

I slid down the rope to see a brick on the wall with a blue symbol of a yin-yang surrounded by a winged circle. My tag wasn't reacting to that. It was reacting to the purple glow farther down.

I allowed myself to slide further. There it was. A purple symbol containing a large circle with two circles inside of it (and each other) attached to a slightly smaller circle with another circle inside of it, a beam connecting the two sets of circles together.

My Crest.

I held up my tag towards the wall, and the brick shrank itself down and slid into my tag. Now Tentomon would be able to digivolve higher.

I had no idea just how soon I'd need him to.

~@~

Believe it or not, I _have_ met Gatomon before she joined the Digidestined. Even though, she might not remember it.

About two months after finding the Crest, Tentomon shoved me aside. Surprised, I landed on my knees.

Before I could ask what was going on, a beam of yellow light hit the spot where I'd been standing a heartbeat before. Tentomon searched for the source of the attack while I gripped my Digivice, simultaneously mentally kicking myself for letting my guard down for the briefest of moments.

Tentomon buzzed under a tree, still searching for the source of the blast. My eyes glanced upon into that same tree to see a mostly-white blur falling from it, aimed directly at Tentomon.

"Tento! Above!" I warned.

Tentomon, understanding my clipped warning, veered towards the right. The attacker landed easily on their feet.

This new Digimon appeared to be about the same size as Tentomon. It was mostly white with purple tuffs at the end of its ears and tail; purple stripes circled the tail. A tail ring with the same markings I'd seen practically everywhere was slipped over its tail; the tail itself must've been as long as the Digimon's feline body. The feline stood on its hind legs, which gave me a good view of its feet. The back paws appeared normal, but it was the _front_ paws that grabbed my attention. Enormous claws poked out of yellow-with-red-striped gloves.

Thanks to my training, I'd been able to study our opponent in less than a second.

"So, _you're_ one of the Digidestined I've heard so much about," its feminine voice stated. "I wondered when I'd see one of you humans."

My brain almost shut down. Other humans? _Here?!_ I could practically _see_ the blue-suited man in front of me.

__

'That's the past! Live in the present!' I ordered myself.

I snapped out of my reverie just as a new voice, a masculine one, shouted, "Magical Game!"

On instinct, I dropped and rolled out of the way or another yellow beam. Rolling back into a crouched position, I glanced up at Tentomon where he was engaging the new threat. Unfortunately, I couldn't see this new Digimon from the ground.

"Tentomon, digivolve!" I ordered.

Just like clockwork, my Digivice began reacting. Tentomon glowed and digivolved to the more powerful Kabuterimon.

"You think your friend, a mostly inexperienced Champion, can defeat _two_ experienced ones?" the feline Digimon mocked. "Don't make me laugh!" She turned her blue eyes upward as she ordered, "Wizardmon, take care of Kabuterimon! I'll take down the child!"

__

'Child?!?!?!' I practically roared in my mind.

"Right away, Gatomon!" the other Digimon called from above.

Gatomon turned back to me just in time to see me tackle her. She hissed and used her claws to swipe across my forehead. Crimson blood soon decorated those large claws.

I pulled back as she rolled to her feet. Using her tail as a whip, she grabbed my leg and jerked it out from under me. I slapped the ground as I hit, softening the blow somewhat. Keeping my eye on Gatomon, I reached into my backpack, reaching for my handgun.

I was only going to get one shot at surprising her into making a mistake.

Overhead, I could hear Kabuterimon and the mysterious Wizardmon locked in a sort of dogfight. "Electro Shockers" and "Magical Games" continued to be exchanged, neither of the attacks hitting their intended targets as their targets kept moving.

"Lightning Claw!" Gatomon shouted, leaping forward.

I rolled into a crouched position, drew my weapon, aimed…

…and hesitated.

I had a perfect shot, right between the eyes, and I couldn't bring myself to pull the damn trigger!

Adjusting my aim, I fired the shot, grazing my opponent's arm. Blood dripped from the wound. Gatomon, giving a cry of pain, twisted in midair.

She missed me by a millimeter.

"Gatomon!" Wizardmon shouted.

The Digimon zoomed down from the sky, Kabuterimon hot on his heels. However, my digi-partner stopped and entered hover mode. I was too close to the target.

This new Digimon wore a violet wizard's hat with a large emblem of a skull on the front. A slightly tattered purple cape with those familiar symbols on the underside was fastened around his neck with another, smaller skull emblem with the collar covering his mouth. Zippers, red eyes, and red "slashes" decorated the yellow jumpsuit, the red vest covering it only a little. The brown boots he wore had large crescent moons, one per boot, attached to them. In one of his brown-gloved hands he carried a golden wand of some sort with a sun at the top, a part of the sun blacked out. Poking out from beneath the hat was straw-colored hair. The grayness of his face showed off worry in his blue eyes.

"Gatomon, are you all right?" Wizardmon asked worriedly.

Wizardmon sounded like Tentomon whenever he asks if I'm hurt badly. Reflecting on my brief battle with Gatomon, I saw a lot of myself in that feline Digimon. _Especially_ the me who'd been still in that program under someone else's control.

I paused that train of thought. Was that it? Was Gatomon under the control of someone more powerful than she was?

Gatomon simply nodded in response to Wizardmon's question, then looked curiously at me. As I placed my gun back in its place, she asked, "That weapon could've killed me, couldn't it?"

"Yes."

"You had the perfect opportunity. Why didn't you take it?"

I merely ignored her question as I glanced up at Kabuterimon. Knowing what I wanted him to do, he swooped low as I prepared to leap onto his back.

My partner gave a cry of pain as a new voice shouted, "Shadow Scythe!"

A ghostly Digimon appeared in my view as Kabuterimon dodged another blow. Instead of being white, this phantasm wore gray with a red cloak, purple underneath it with those oh-so-familiar symbols. Evil green eyes appeared to glow like beacons in the dark black of the face. A gray skull with three gray curved rectangles decorated the red hood of the cloak. The specter held a long-handled scythe, the blade itself made of gold. At the bottom of the handle was a golden skull decoration along with a chain. The chain was attached to a black ball with a golden symbol of an eye. That eye immediately reminded me of the eyeball with the red iris hanging from a golden chain around the Digimon's neck.

"Phantomon, what're you doing here?!" Gatomon demanded, rising to her feet.

"The master told me to check on you, of course. Who's your little playmate here?" the Digimon responded, his voice sounding like _exactly_ like those ghost voices they use in the movies.

Wizardmon answered for Gatomon: "This boy is obviously one of those Digidestined children we've heard so much about."

__

'Digidestined?' I wondered.

Another thought almost sent me reeling. _'There really _are_ other humans here?!'_

Laugh if you want, I don't care. It must be pretty amusing to you. The boy who's survived Satan's version of boot camp is terrified of his own species.

Actually, I'm not terrified of them. I just don't trust other humans very easily anymore.

You think I trust Kari completely? Well, I don't. I haven't had the nerves to tell her my story.

However, I think I will someday.

Phantomon laughed. "You believe this boy to be one of those children? The master has never even seen – "

The ghost was cut off as Kabuterimon attacked. Size wise, Kabuterimon had the advantage. Phantomon was only a little bigger than my partner's Rookie stage. However, from what I could tell, Phantomon had more experience and was undoubtedly higher digivolved than Kabuterimon.

"Shadow Scythe!"

Kabuterimon gave a cry of pain as the attack sliced into his shoulder. Blood red colored the smaller Digimon's blade.

I heard the distinctive _thwack-thwack-thwack_ as the blade hit the most-armored areas of Kabuterimon's body. The blows didn't penetrate as well.

Gatomon and Wizardmon aided neither side. Apparently, the pair was angry with Phantomon for cutting into their mission, but not mad enough to stop him from attacking my friend.

Wait a minute. Friend? I hadn't had any friends since Jake had been murdered. Still, I liked the sound of it.

Pushing the thought away, I yelled, "Retreat!"

Kabuterimon swerved towards the right. Phantomon, taking advantage of our hasty withdrawal from the fight, attacked once more.

"Shadow Scythe!"

Almost unconscious, screaming in pain, Kabuterimon plummeted from the sky, blood coming from his back.

In my mind, I saw Jake fall to the ground, blood trickling from the bullet wound in his back.

No…

Not again…

****

Not again!

I wasn't sure _how,_ but I knew that I would _not_ allow Kabuterimon to fall to the ground, never to rise again.

A bright purple glow came from beneath my shirt as my Digivice went berserk. I pulled out my tag, Crest, and Digivice to see them glowing bright purple.

"Kabuterimon digivolve to…Megakabuterimon!"

My jaw was slightly slack in awe as I gazed upon Tentomon's Ultimate level.

He resembled a gigantic cockroach with blue-clawed hands on two sets of arms. A blue-green half of a sphere decorated the middle of his upper back, adding color to his mostly-brown body. His mouth was open, showing off large teeth and a large tongue. A horn resembling a battle-ax stuck out from his face. I have yet to figure out where exactly his eyes are.

"Unbelievable…" I whispered.

Phantomon decided at that moment that it would be a good idea to make himself scarce. However, Megakabuterimon gave him a parting gift…

"Horn Buster!"

A bright white beam fired from his horn, advancing towards Phantomon. The ghostly Digimon dodged most of the attack, but still left with some wounds.

I turned to the stunned Gatomon and Wizardmon. Closing my eyes, I bowed like a performer leaving the stage.

"Until next time," I told them.

Megakabuterimon landed and de-digivolved into Motimon. I picked up my little friend into my arms. Before the other two Digimon could attack, I jogged into the surrounding forest.

However, I didn't leave.

Like I have said once before, I could never get rid of my curiosity. No matter _how _hard I tried.

And at that moment, I was curious as to whether or not this "master" of theirs would show up.

I watched as a black circle appeared, revealing a shadowy figure.

"Apparently there are supposed to be _eight_ Digidestined instead of seven. The first two Crests, Courage and Friendship, have already glowed, and I sense that the Crest of Knowledge has just glowed," the shadowy figure stated angrily.

__

'Crest of Knowledge, huh? Well, at least I now know what my Crest represents.'

"I had believed that the keeper of that Crest had been destroyed, but it appears I was incorrect. If you see that boy again, destroy him immediately!"

Bowing respectfully, Wizardmon and Gatomon answered, "Yes, Lord Myotismon."

As the black circle disappeared, Wizardmon and Gatomon rose to their feet once more. They walked off into another section of the forest, searching for something that I could only guess at.

My earlier assessment had been correct: Gatomon _was_ under the control of somebody else. Sighing quietly, I walked away from the scene, Motimon still in my arms.

After a half-hour of walking in silence, Motimon asked, "Why didn't you shoot Gatomon before?"

It was a question I knew he'd ask. Ordinarily, I just aimed and fired, not one hesitation. I'd hesitated when I had a perfect shot at killing Gatomon, and there wasn't one good reason for doing so that I knew about. What _had_ caused me to hesitate?

"I'm not sure," I answered honestly. "However, after we'd stopped fighting, I saw a lot of myself in her."

Motimon didn't say another word, seeming to know that I didn't want him to ask.

A single tear slid down my cheek as I thought of Jake.

It was the first one I'd cried to mourn for him.

~@~

Later that night, we went through our nightly routine or searching for firewood and food. As we sat there, eating in silence, Motimon finally said something.

"Koushiro, are there _really_ other humans like you in the Digiworld?" he asked.

I stopped in mid-chew. I really, _really_ hadn't wanted to think about that possibility again. Hell, I had been forcing my mind _off_ that subject for hours. Now, I couldn't escape answering.

"Apparently. I mean, that creature Wizardmon and Gatomon called 'Master' seemed to think there were. Gatomon and Phantomon also mentioned it a few times. I guess there are other humans here."

Motimon watched me with those understanding brown eyes as I set the melon-like fruit I'd been eating down on the ground. I suddenly wasn't hungry at all.

Humans. Dear God, there were _humans_ here other than myself! The same creatures who'd taken away my former life and sent me to Hell On Earth. _They'd_ had total control. I'd lost _everything_ about myself: my past, my family…

My _home…_

I realized that if I _ever_ returned to Earth, that I had nowhere to go. They'd find me no matter where I was. And if, by some act of God, they _didn't_ find me, I would _have _to return to them. After all, I had nowhere else to go. I was at their mercy for the rest of my life.

I gazed down at the blue, half-eaten fruit in front of me. I truly was alone. Nobody cared back on Earth if I'd lived or died. Almost everybody in this world had been bent on destroying me.

A lump formed in my throat, causing me to swallow in a pitiful attempt to force it down. No. I wasn't going to break down in front of Motimon. He had his problems; I had mine. I would _not_ put _my_ problems onto _his _tiny shoulders.

Cutting into my thoughts came Motimon's quiet voice. "Koushiro, is something bothering you?"

I took a deep breath, trying to quell the shaking I knew must be in my voice. "I'm fine, Motimon. Thank you for asking."

Motimon's brown eyes looked at me, knowing I was lying. I turned away from those knowing eyes.

God, I'm an idiot. I've been wondering for a long time whose eyes Kari's eyes remind me of, and the obvious answer is that they remind me of Motimon's eyes.

"I'm going to turn in," I informed my pink friend.

"To what?"

I raised an eyebrow as I gazed back at Motimon. A smile lit up his face, trying to lighten my mood. I knew he'd just told a joke in an attempt to cheer me up.

I thought for the briefest of moments, fishing for a response. All I could come up with was "Good question."

Motimon's smile widened a little as I bid him goodnight. I curled up into a tight ball as I laid down on my side. It's an old habit of mine.

Silent tears streamed down my face as I thought of my parents and Jake. I hadn't mourned for my parents in years, and I'd never mourned for my best friend.

Could it be that Motimon had managed to start the process in which I would finally begin to regain my humanity?

I wrapped my arms around my knees in an attempt to bring myself into a tighter ball so Motimon wouldn't see my tears. My back was turned to the little pink digital monster.

I choked back sobs as I stared off into the night of this strange world. I couldn't sleep at all. Dinner settled in my stomach as a heavy rock does at the bottom of a lake.

I heard Motimon whisper, thinking that I was still asleep, "Whenever you feel ready to tell me your secrets, Koushiro, I'll be here. I promise."

I sniffed slightly, hoping Motimon didn't hear me.

Promises? What were those good for anymore? They're just the words of someone to get you to believe them. They're not worth anything.

~@~

I don't recall the exact events that twisted the Digital World into the Dark Master's territory, but I recall meeting those four for the first time in battle.

I rode on Kabuterimon's back as we flew towards the top of Spiral Mountain, the home of the Dark Masters. We had little hope of being able to even take out _one_ of those Mega Digimon even though we'd been waiting and conserving our strength for five digi-years for this chance.

After so long, Piedmon, the most powerful of the four, was left alone on Spiral Mountain.

"Koushiro, he's bound to have some type of guard."

"Just fly as high above Spiral Mountain as you can. We'll attack when we dive into Piedmon's home."

Fearlessly, we continued our ascent. Higher and higher we traveled as the ground continued to drop farther away from us.

It was a risky plan, but this was our big chance.

Puppetmon had left Spiral Mountain to play with a new "toy". Metal Seadramon had left to squash a rebellion from the Dolphinmon. Machinedramon had heard rumors that Andromon was trying to raise a resistance army against him, so he'd left the Dark Master's home as well.

I admit to having opinions in my mind on each of the four Mega Digimon. Whenever I heard Metal Seadramon's voice, I instantly thought of blonde surfers. (It is little wonder to me that the Digidestined team had defeated him so easily.) Machinedramon reminds me of the animes that included mechas that I used to watch when I was five. (How long ago was that in Earth time? I don't know how to convert digi-time to Earth time.) Puppetmon is too childish, causing me to be confused as to _how_ he conquered the forests of the Digital World in the first place. (However, I'm beginning to believe he used his arsenal of firearms – from which I used to steal ammunition – in order to conquer the forests.)

Piedmon has to be the most cunning of them all. I suspect that he is also the "leader" of the Dark Masters, but I could be incorrect. Still, he has proven himself to be a worthy adversary.

At the time, it made me wonder what he thought of _me._

Kabuterimon flew high above Spiral Mountain, passing high above a flock of Vilemon. Lady Devimon was leading them in drills. A wise decision on Piedmon's part, keeping his troops well trained.

"Up ahead."

That was all my digital companion needed to say. The home of the Dark Masters was in front and below us.

When we were about fifty meters away from it, Kabuterimon pulled into a dive, causing us to fly right towards Piedmon's abode while picking up speed at the same time. My wild red hair whipped in the force of the gale. The wind whistled in my ears as we rocketed through an open set of balcony doors.

Piedmon's martini was shot right out of his hand as he turned. I aimed and fired once more. Even though he dodged, Piedmon gave a cry of pain as the bullet grazed his neck, drawing blood. He held one of his white-gloved hands to his neck to stem the flow of the crimson fluid.

Meanwhile, I leaped off of Kabuterimon so he could attack.

"Electro Shocker!"

Using one hand, the evil clown attacked.

"Clown Trick!"

Piedmon's more powerful attack stopped Kabuterimon's, but not before my digi-partner's attack was too close to him. The explosion knocked him off his feet.

I cocked my handgun and aimed, preparing to blow the clown's brains out.

Piedmon looked up at me…and _smiled!_

He stood up, clapping his hands. My eyes flicked to Kabuterimon for a moment. He looked as bewildered as I felt deep down inside.

"Bravo! Bravo! I simply _must_ applaud your efforts!" the clown-like Digimon stated. "A brilliant attack pattern! I honestly did not anticipate it!" He stopped his applaud, still smiling. "However, I thought all of you Digidestined children had left to go after Myotismon and to go on that wild goose chase to find the 'Seventh Child'."

"I am _not_ one of them!" I snapped.

"Ah…I see…"

He had something up his sleeve.

And he knew that I knew.

Piedmon's hand had been slowly reaching for one of his swords. When the white-gloved hand almost grabbed one, Kabuterimon fired off a quick "Electro Shocker", causing Piedmon to jerk his hand back.

"Stupid," Kabuterimon stated, referring to the Mega Digimon's attempt.

"Very, _very_ stupid," I added.

Piedmon's smile grew broader. "At last! An opponent _worthy_ of me!"

Kabuterimon muttered, just loud enough for me to hear, "Someone sure thinks highly of himself."

I gave a small nod of agreement, not taking my eyes off my opponent.

"Puppet Pummel!"

I hit the dirt rolling. Yellow energy shot towards me as bullets do from a machine gun. Only one Digimon I knew attacked like that.

"So, ya wanna play, do ya?" the obnoxious voice of Puppetmon asked. "I do, too!"

I cursed the fact that the sadistic puppet Digimon had returned from play early.

The sound of Kabuterimon yelling in pain and Piedmon's cry of "Trump Swords" caused me to remember my former prisoner.

My Crest of Knowledge glowed under my shirt, causing Kabuterimon to digivolved to the higher and more powerful Megakabuterimon.

However, I was sure that my mistake would cost us our lives.

But if we were going to die, Piedmon was going with us.

I was going to make sure Piedmon would tag along on my journey into Hell.

"Megakabuterimon! The floor!"

My friend aimed downwards.

"Horn Buster!"

The blast shattered the floor beneath us. I noted with disappointment that Piedmon had stuck one of his swords into the wall and was now hanging on for dear life.

I felt that familiar sensation of free fall before one of Megakabuterimon's hands grabbed me.

"Full retreat! We'll wait for another day!" I shouted.

We burst through the wall to meet up with Metal Seadramon and Machinedramon. I watched icily as Megakabuterimon attacked and flew past them.

"River of Power!"

"Giga Cannon!"

We were chased off of Spiral Mountain. Just as we were about to get away without a problem, one of Piedmon's "Clown Tricks" brought us down.

I vaguely heard Piedmon's voice shouting in the distance as we landed: "I look forward to our next altercation!"

Swearing, I picked up a newly de-digivolved Motimon, holding him gently in my arms. He'd give his all; using so much energy, he de-digivolved to his In-training level. Ordinarily, he'd just de-digivolve into Tentomon.

"Should we try again in a month or so, Koushiro?" Motimon asked.

"No, Motimon. We'll wait for _years_ if we have to. We need to gain more experience and power. Only _then_ do we have a better chance of winning."

Motimon nodded, the determination in his eyes matching the determination in my own.

~@~

Eleven digi-years passed. The other children came back from Earth with their Seventh Child and her Digimon…

…who was none other than Gatomon.

Obviously, she'd been meant to be the partner of the young, brown-haired girl walking beside her.

The girl gazed up directly at my hiding place as if sensing I was there. There was something strange about her…something I _still _can't quite put my finger on.

I'm sure the other children have told you how Tentomon and I saved them on numerous occasions, so I won't bore you with further details.

I now conclude my tale at this point in time…

…but my story shall not be finished until the day I die.

A/N: Yes! Paper and pencil did _not_ defeat me! :::does happy dance of victory::: Oh, and I wrote most of this _before_ the premier of Digimon 02 on TV, so I had no idea that some of these Digimon were used in 02 when I wrote this. Anyway, what'd you guys think? This is a gift for all you Koushiro fans out there and the Izzy Fans ML!!!


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